METAMORPHISM AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Metamorphism involves solid-state changes that occur within the Earth.

Solid state – means that changes without melting or dissolving

Within the earth – means not by the surface processes of weathering and soil
formation

Agent s of metamorphism – (1) Heat (2) Pressure (3) Chemically active fluids
Heat

Migration of ions through solid rock (a) ions may move along the
surfaces of grain (b) ions migrate from one vacancy to another (c)
small ions may move among the mineral’s ions
Pressure

Gravity forces

Gravity + tectonic forces

Chemically active fluids

• Solutions containing large quantities of dissolved ions

• dissolved ions can be added to rocks, significantly changing their

chemical composition and producing new mineral
Types of Metamorphism
Dynamic metamorphism occurs during faulting (movement)
How much can a Rock change?

The amount of change depends on

(1) the intensity of the metamorphic agents
(2) the duration of metamorphism
(3) the type of rock involved

Low-grade metamorphic rocks – those subjected to low-intensity of

metamorphism

High-grade metamorphic rocks – lost most of their primary feature and

look very different from their unmetamorphosed parent rocks
Metamorphism of siltstone with a fossil leaf (a) can produce schist with large
garnet crytals (b)
Recrystallization may destroy original rock textures.

(a) A fine grained limestone containing a few large fossils

(b) The small calcite grains recrystallize until nearly all traces of the
original grain size and organic content have been destroyed. However,
traces of the fossils remain.
METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Each metamorphic rock contains a record of all the processes that have
affected it. Thus, many serve as geothermometers or geobarometers

Metamorphic Textures

Relict features – textural features inherited from the original rock

Metamorphic features – textural features after the processes of
metamorphism
Grain size and shape

• Grain size increases during most types of metamorphism

Metamorphism of siltstone with a fossil leaf (a) can produce

schist with large garnet crytals (b)
• some mineral grow much larger than others:

Porphyro-blastic texture
• extreme cases in faults, grains are sometimes strecthed and flattened,
resulting in a characteristic mylonitic texture that uniquely identifies
dynamic metamorphism
Preferred orientation

Lineation – parallel
alignment of rod-like grains

Foliation – parallel
alignment of sheet-like
minerals